Lancaster Gunsmiths of the Early Republic

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on Lancaster Gunsmiths of the Early Republic In August 2026, as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of American independence, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum will open Lancaster Gunsmiths of the Early Republic, a major exhibition exploring the artistry, innovation and historical significance of Lancaster County firearms during the Revolutionary era and the early years of the United States. Presented as part of the national...
read more

Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Winter 2026

Posted by on Jan 14, 2026 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Winter 2026 Topics in the Winter 2026 Newsletter: Winter Events of the Trails of History Forthcoming U.S. 250th Events on the Trails of History Winter-2026-newsletter...
read more

The Hobby That Became a Museum: Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 1925–2025

Posted by on Aug 29, 2025 in | Comments Off on The Hobby That Became a Museum: Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 1925–2025 Brothers Henry Landis (1865–1955) and George Landis (1867–1954), the founders of Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, were descendants of Germanic Mennonite families who moved to the area that would become Lancaster County in 1717. As young boys, Henry and George were encouraged by their forward-thinking parents and several teachers to pursue their personal interests and begin collecting....
read more

Editor’s Letter

Posted by on Aug 25, 2025 in | Comments Off on Editor’s Letter One hundred years ago, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum — now a site on PHMC’s Pennsylvania Trails of History — opened to the public. It was founded by two free-spirited brothers, Henry and George Landis, who essentially devoted their lives to building a massive collection of artifacts related to Pennsylvania German rural life and culture. Conestoga wagons, farm implements and machinery,...
read more

From the Executive Director

Posted by on Feb 21, 2025 in | Comments Off on From the Executive Director Historic sites and museums offer an opportunity to connect us to the past, but they also provide ways for us to think about the future. I recently attended the Lancaster County Hemp Circuit at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, a Pennsylvania Trails of History site where we have several artifacts related to the agricultural and industrial history of hemp in Pennsylvania. Hemp was grown...
read more

2022 Trails

Posted by on Dec 16, 2022 in | Comments Off on 2022 Trails With what feels like record speed, it’s once again time for our look back at the past year. Our steady rebound from 2020’s COVID-19–related site closures and event cancellations continued into 2022, with ongoing efforts to balance staff and visitor safety with everyone’s desire to get back out onto the Pennsylvania Trails of History. Visitation levels that started to increase in 2021 have...
read more

Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Summer 2022

Posted by on May 13, 2022 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Summer 2022 Topics in the Summer 2022 Newsletter: PHMC Curators Highlight Objects from Collections Rachel Yerger on Sugar Tongs from Cornwall Iron Furnace Jennifer Royer on the Undertaker’s Sleigh at Landis Valley PHF Announces New Board Members   PHF-newsletter...
read more

Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Winter 2022

Posted by on Dec 1, 2021 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Winter 2022 Topics in the Winter 2022 Newsletter: Hidden Gems at Pennsylvania Trails of History Sites Daniel Boone Homestead Ephrata Cloister Cornwall Iron Furnace Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum   winter-2022-phf-newsletter...
read more

Trailheads

Posted by on Dec 1, 2021 in | Comments Off on Trailheads When we rang in 2021, Pennsylvania’s Trails of History sites had been closed to the public for nine months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maintenance and security staff had continued to report to sites to perform their duties, while others of us had adapted to telework. The new year dawned with hope of spring reopenings, and on April 30 sites implemented new public schedules designed to ease...
read more

Trailheads

Posted by on Dec 30, 2020 in | Comments Off on Trailheads Here we are again. As of mid-July, PHMC’s Trails of History sites and museums remain closed to the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Special events and programs, including Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum’s Herb & Garden Faire, the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum’s Bark Peelers’ Festival, and Somerset Historical Center’s Mountain Craft Days, have been canceled. Grounds reopened with...
read more